On a chilly Friday morning, the Boys Varsity Tennis team gathered with Head Coach Brian Metz for a motivational speech that set the tone for the day. At 6:54 a.m., his words inspired the players to focus on giving their all during each match, emphasizing the importance of resilience and teamwork as they headed to the state tournament.
The team split into two vans and a parent’s car for the drive to the tournament locations—singles at Byron Center High School and doubles at South Christian High School. Upon arrival, the doubles players were fortunate to find courts for a dynamic warm-up, getting their bodies ready despite the brisk morning air.
The team did their dynamic warm-up on lightly lit courts just before sunrise. Once they were stretched and ready they began hitting. With cold hands, the doubles lineup managed a sufficient warmup.
Just before court assignments were called, Assistant Coach Lee Schopp talked to the doubles boys just as Metz would do. He reminded the team to give it everything they had for a great end to the season.
Matches
Four out of West Ottawa’s eight flights went on right at 8:30 for states.
1 singles Soph. Sebastian Doseman and 4 doubles Jrs. Lukas Woudwyk and Harper VanNoord lost early in the tournament. Doseman lost nobly to Ann Arbor Huron 2-6, 3-6. Woudwyk and VanNoord fell to 5 seed Troy Athens 2-6, 0-6. Troy Athens finished as the second-place team after upsetting the 4 and 1 seed.
4 singles Soph. Luke Koschmann defeated Ann Arbor Skyline again 6-1, 6-2. This win secured Koschmann a quarterfinal match. He also won West Ottawa 2 out of the 3 points from this one match. After hours of waiting, Koschmann learned he would face off against 2-seed Bloomfield Hills.
3 doubles Sr. Brylan McConnell and Soph. Lincoln Taylor were the fourth match to go out at 8:30. They were matched up against Ann Arbor Pioneer and won 6-1, 5,7, 10-7. The match was very close up until the very end. 3 doubles was the second and final win for West Ottawa; earning WO its third point. They next had to face 2-seed Troy.
Around 10 a.m. the next couple of matches went on for their first match.
Just as 3 doubles wrapped up their first match, 2 doubles Sr. Landon Meyer and Jr. Teddy Mauger went out for their first. They fell to 3-seed Northville 0-6, 0-6, and Northville went on to upset the 1 seed to win the tournament.
3 singles Jr. Drew Rothstein lost in an unfortunate match to 5-seed Okemos 1-6, 2-6. Okemos made it to the semifinals before losing to 1-seed and state champion Bloomfield Hills.
Shortly after, around 10:30, 2 singles Jr. Trevyn Bethke faced Ann Arbor Pioneer. In a heartbreaking loss, Bethke’s season ended with a 3-6, 2-6 loss.
Around 11 a.m. when 2 doubles were just finishing, 1 doubles Sr. Cody Schurman and Jr. Brayden Goodwin went on to play 6-seed Novi. After many close games, they fell to Novi 2-6, 2-6.
Second Round
It seemed to be planned, but 3 doubles were called for their second match just as 1 doubles finished their match. The doubles players and parents cheering for 1 doubles were able to watch 3 doubles with no wait.
3 doubles had a tough match against 2-seed Troy. Going into the match, McConnell and Taylor knew they would have a hard fight against them. With a final score of 2-6, 2-6, 3 doubles put on a good fight against Troy with multiple deuce games and a few games won.
In an eventful conclusion to the season, West Ottawa’s Luke Koschmann faced off against Bloomfield Hills’ 2-seed, drawing a crowd of players, coaches, and parents to the sidelines. Despite the pressure, Koschmann delivered an impressive performance, showcasing some of the best tennis of his career. He fought valiantly but ultimately lost 3-6, 3-6. Nevertheless, he left the court smiling, proud of his effort.
After the match, the team gathered around, and Coach Metz celebrated Koschmann’s resilience with a heartfelt hug. He took a moment to express his gratitude for the seniors and acknowledged the hard work everyone had put in throughout the season. West Ottawa wrapped up the tournament tied for 16th place, finishing with 3 points, but the companionship and spirit shared among the team made the day memorable.
